This one is in the bag.

Brentford getting so frustrated.  Not too pretty from us but effective.

You just sense It's going to be our day.

1 hour ago, Ossydave said:

Bookies don't fancy us at all we're 5/1 for the win.

That's crazy odds to say they're only 5 points above us, we've already beat them this season and we're the form team around... 

Then fill your boots!

We've a good record against Brentford and as I've said many times before, in this league, confidence and momentum are everything.

We need to be positive and aggressive right from the off and Brentford might struggle to handle it.  If we give them too much respect and try to keep it tight then we could get torn to shreds. 

Stuck £20 on Rovers' win at 28/5 and £5 on 2-1 at 22/1.  Got a nice feeling about this one.

We should be hammering a very, very poor Hull side.

Bored with it all.

Going to open a red and watch a film.

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

His performances for under 23's have been poor. Rankin Costello and Hilton impress me most from what I've seen

You must be watching different matches to me!

In the games I've seen, Chapman always looks like he can make something happen which is more than can be said for most of our other outfield players.

Don't think Rankin Costello will make it.  At 20, I'd expect him to have far more of an impact on a game, even at U23 level; IMO, a 'Joe Average' whose level is probably League 1 at best.

Hilton doesn't convince me.  Keepers mature with age and, IMO, he's a lot of maturing to do - would get eaten alive at 1st team level.  Think he needs loaning out to a League 2 club to see if he sinks or swims - I think he'll sink.   

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

We cant complain about injuries tonight too much considering that Hull are without a series of players through injury themselves. De Wijs, Burke, Pennington and Tafazoli are all out at CB. Lichaj is out at RB. Stewart and Kane are 2 important central midfielders that are out, their new signing Scott is out and a few other less influential players too. Throw in the loss of Bowen and Grosicki and they really are heavily depleted and nothing less than a win is acceptable. You do wonder if its a perfect night for Graham, horrible weather, go a bit more direct and take advantage of their heavily depleted defence.

Maddison is their stand out player now, they have a couple of big lumps in Eaves and Magennis and Wilks who scored at the weekend couldnt really get much game time at Barnsley earlier in the season.

 

Totally agree.

Expect a win by at least two goals tonight.

Feckin sick of reading stuff suggesting we are playing Liverpool, PSG, Barca, Juve etc.

26 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Both spent more. 

Think you need to cost in transfer receipts and wages!

12 hours ago, Vilesinner said:

Outshone Johnson when they played together. 

We should be looking to him, Buckley and Mols imo; not like we have that many other options.

Bennett and Johnson forever giving the ball away. Bennett does try, Johnson seems half asleep most of the time.

Rankin-Costello, Buckley, Mols, Davenport - none have stood out in my eyes.  These lads are 20 / 21 year olds and, IMO, at best, they will never be better than average Championship players.

4 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

 

To add to your point about the similarities the coaches and lads talk about TM now just like Shorty etc used to talk about GB. I know that they love him and respect him and I think he TM (as was GB) is a very solid manager with the right work ethics and morals. People on here saying he’s sly and trying to keep himself in a job are so far wide of the mark.  We all have different opinions - my view, based on what I've seen and heard from him, is very different.

But, I share your concerns about whether TM (like GB) has the magic dust to galvanise a mid table team on a mid table budget and do what Alex Neil has done, what Chris Wilder has done, what Ollie did with Blackpool or dare I say it Dyche with Burnley. There’s nothing about TM which says he will. The foreign market is his last chance for us imo. The whole thing is at risk of getting stale.  Well why keep him?  I think he's spunked away £12million+in fees and £millions more on wages on Brereton and Gallagher, therefore, I question his ability to judge a player and would not want him spending another penny of my money on either on UK or European players. 

Let him have the summer to bring in affordable, better quality foreign players and hopefully fully integrate a Buckley, JRC, Butterworth etc. If that doesn’t work then for me Mowbray is all out of ideas working within the budget he has. You won’t find me whining or kicking and screaming about a thoroughly good manager but sooner or later his time will run out!  IMO, that is the last thing we should do and would be utter madness.  Has he moved the club forward in his 3 years - IMO, very marginally.  I think we face a huge rebuilding job in the summer and that is down to, IMO, the hash Mowbray has made of player trading in his time with us.

4 hours ago, JoeH said:

I don't think there's a witch hunt conspiracy against Harry Chapman. Many, including myself, saw some of his issues develop at Leyland before the turn of the year, and TM seems to have similar issues with the lad too. Maybe it just means the lad has some problems... rather than there being a witch hunt against him, people could just be right about him.

He definitely does have more natural ability than most in that Under 23's team you're right, but he's also older than most in that team, has much more playing experience than most in that team and was signed for the first team. He's not a youth team player, Chapman has plenty of first team minutes under his belt.

He's often very selfish on the ball in those games I've seen at Leyland, and him and Dan Butterworth were constantly spatting on the pitch - seen it with my own eyes. We don't need any of that crap at first team level. I trust TM's judgement on players personalities, mainly because it seems to be the one thing that TM is bothered about to the extreme. 

My trust in TM on transfers... meh. But on people? I trust him 100%. He's not the type to manufacture a situation in order to not play a player. Could the man who kept a player at the club for 9 months whilst he recovered from an injury at our cost not under contract, JUST so he could get a move to MK Dons, really be capable of creating a witch hunt against one of his own? I doubt it personally.

If Chapman is such a prat, and I don't think he is having watched him several times, then why the feck did Mowbray sign him having known the lad for years!!!  By the way, he's just 22 so hardly a veteran and only a year or two older than the likes of Rankin-Costello, Buckley, Mols, Davenport.

2 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

It’s not a myth mate because ‘budget’ refers to fees plus wages. It’s everything combined. And our ‘budget’ is mid to lower table.

So, with your argument, if Mowbray hadn't of, IMO, spunked away £12million+ in fees and committed the club to big wages on Brereton and Gallagher, the pot would have been at least £20million bigger over a 4 year period.  I think he's had the resource, and even told us he only needs to ask for more!, and blown it!!! 

You optimise the resource you have - that is good management.  Sheff U and Brentford have shown the way probably with budgets less than ours.  IMO, Mowbray has failed and we need someone who knows the market and can work it.

4 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

Have you seen Chapman play for the under 23's this season? Ive seen him a couple of times, haven't impress me or his attitude. Others who have attend alot more than me have said similar things. We know that his attitude in training hasn't been impress the manager or that coaching staff.  His ability to beat a man, create something out of nothing have impressed me.  Has more natural ability than virtually anyone in that U23 team.  I think there's a 'witch hunt' where Chapman's concerned - Mowbray doesn't seem to like the lad so neither do the 'happy clappers'!  The manager or his coaching staff haven't impressed me either - other than Johnson, I'd sack the feckin lot of 'em.

Yes we did go for a couple of wingers but the finances weren't right.  IMO, 'Jackonary' stuff for the fans who can't see through it!

No you aren't interested in facts that the players were sadly not right financial term wise or clubs/players wanted too much wage wise - but we are told there was money there if only Mowbray and Waggott had asked!      e don't sign players without scouting them properly or would you rather just sign a player without knowing him properly cos an Agent recommend him - Well what happened with Brereton !?!?!?!?

6 hours ago, Ewood Ace said:

Virtually relegated? We were 3 points from safety with 15 games to go. There are plenty of clubs who have been in that situation that have stayed up, let's not rewrite history and make out that Mowbray took on mission impossible.

Absolutely.

Mowbray admitted at Blues 12 months ago he was brought in to keep us up.

He failed.

IMO, we drew matches we should have won and lost matches we should have drawn owing to his tactics (or lack of them). 

7 hours ago, JoeH said:

Agreed. Johnson was poor. What about Davenport?

Not great from what I've seen of him in the U23's etc.

The lad's 21 years old now and should be showing a lot more.

20 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

What team would everyone play on Tuesday night?

Walton

Nyambe Lenihan Adarabioyo Bell

Chapman Travis Davenport Downing

Graham Armstrong

Not ideal having Downing wide but in the absence of any competent wingers at least one of him and Armstrong will have to play there. Very much a pragmatic 442, not Armstrong as a number 10.

Johnson and Rankin Costello should be taken out. No more strikers out wide bollocks. No Samuel near the 18.

Exactly what I would do.

IMO, Gallagher MUST NOT start whether it be out wide or as a central striker.  I think Mowbray has dropped another huge expensive clanger with his signing.

I think Johnson is washed up and finished.  Thought he looked over weight on Saturday - unfit, slow and poor distribution.

44 minutes ago, Madon said:

With JRC now injured, if Chapman doesn't make the 18 again I think it's safe to say he's as good as gone in the summer. 

Give him a chance from the start!

Fully agree.

I'd like to see Chapman given a run of games.

To me, the lad's got good natural ability, can make things happen and is capable of getting you on the edge of your seat.

B0ll0cks to all this attitude business.  IMO, Mowbray has totally mismanaged the lad and I would be p1ssed off if I'd been treated the same way.  The lad needs an arm around the shoulder and to be told how good he is now and just how good he can be going forward - give him his wings and watch him fly.  IMO, the lad has more natural ability than Brereton, Gallagher and Rankin Costello put together.  As supporters, you want to be excited and sadly, IMO, under Mowbray we've seen too much turgid stuff and 'ale house' football - and some on here had the nerve to criticise Big Sam!

Totally uninspiring stuff.

Fulham looked a different class going forward, inventive and incisive - wonderfully worked goal.

Can recall their keeper having one save to make all day and that came in the last 20 minutes from Gallagher.

Don't think Rankin-Costello is going to make it though in fairness to the lad, played out of position whilst Gallagher played out wide yet again in Rankin-Costello's preferred position!!!  Absolutely barmy from, IMO, our square peg in round holes, hopeless manager.

Downing the only player to stand out - Travis worked hard but achieved very little.

I think Johnson, Gallagher and Armstrong were diabolically poor.

Last 20 minutes saw three big lads up front (Gallagher, Graham and Samuel) as we reverted to, IMO, 'ale house' football in what I think was Mowbray's attempt to bully/batter Fulham into a mistake.  I think our manager is a footballing dinosaur.

Will say it again, I think we are going nowhere under Mowbray and he has to go.

Some came on here after Thursday's meeting waxing lyrical about Mowbray and Waggott - hopefully, they will think again and see through, IMO, the smoke, mirrors, b0ll0cks and bullsh1t of Mowbray and Waggott.

3 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

How are they excuses when they are facts? We need to understand the reasons why players weren't signed. Think @Miller11 mention about Waggott not over paying for agents fees to secure signings or the wages of some young players at PL clubs is over our wage bill. Or would you rather break the wage structure at the club or over pay Players agents? Did you see Mowbray's comment that he wont sign a player if the club and recruitment player haven't scouting them? surely this is the right approach? 

@chaddyrovershink IMO, it's all smoke and mirrors, bullsh1t and b0ll0cks and sadly some fans buy it.

I've read a number of posts on here over the last 24 hours with some posters waxing lyrical about Mowbray and Waggott also stating they've the club's best interests at heart.  All our supporters have the club's best interests at heart including you yourself, however, it doesn't mean you are competent or savvy enough to manage / run the club!

IMO, it's all feckin nonsense.  You don't go shopping at Harrods if you only have a Poundland budget.  You find the rough diamonds and feckin polish them.

IMO, as a club we are, at best, stagnating.  One poster talked about Mowbray and Waggott laying foundations - well at this rate, I think it will be the year 3000 before the house is built providing the structure hasn't already collapsed into the ground!

What has Waggott done as our CEO to advance the club?  What has Mowbray done to advance our club?  IMO, we are only marginally better off than we were when Mowbray arrived 3 years ago.  Make no mistake, this summer, IMO, will be a massive rebuilding job with anything from 8 to 10 players needed (when arguably we should have needed only a couple of quality signings to take us to the next level) and we will be as far away from the PL as we have ever been as a Championship club.  Other than the odd exception, I think the player trading (I don't refer to it as player trading strategy because as far as I can see we don't have a strategy!) under Mowbray and Waggott has been very, very poor and IMO, where we will find ourselves in the summer will be almost entirely down to their incompetence.

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

very easy for people like yourself to criticise the manager, CEO and the recruitment department while the truth is you don't really know what on in January window. it would be great to be inside the club and see everything going on with the signing and recruitment department but we cant. I know that Leeds have been wanting a striker in and only just about did it. 

Bottom line is we didn't sign a single player and the team hasn't been improved.

In my books, the window has therefore been an abysmal failure as every club should be looking to move forward.

There are simply no excuses.

If Mowbray and Waggott can't do any better then they should be replaced by folk who can.

Been through this thread in its entirety and seems to me a number who went last night were seduced by Mowbray's persona just as many were in Blues Bar almost 12 months ago.  Compare what he said then and what has since happened, or rather not happened!

I didn't buy it then and even less likely to buy it now.  I think the man is a bullsh1tter and at best, a very, very average football manager.

As for Waggott, to talk about naming a training pitch after Tony Parkes, is, IMO, totally and utterly disdainful.  It is not as though the news of Parkes' illness was suddenly sprung upon him and he hadn't had time to think.  I think Waggott is intellectually challenged and way out of his depth as our CEO.

I think the sooner Mowbray and Waggott  are out of our club the better.

19 hours ago, Prelude said:

 

IMO, not fit to be CEO of our great club.

I think the man talks utter b0ll0cks.

Good luck to Holtby.  It's a huge blow for him and Rovers.

This is a nasty injury and when its torn from the bone (either thigh or shin) then there's a likelihood of other knee damage.  I think Mowbray is wildly optimistic thinking the lad might be back for the play offs, if we get there, as I understand recovery for a sports person is generally a minimum of three months and in some instances up to seven to nine months.

4 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Yes Rovers academy does take roughly 3 millions per year to run. We get about 1.1 million in grants in for the academy so it cost 2 millions to run from the club point of view. 

Leicester paid 1.1 million pounds for Rovers academy player Callum Wright 2 years ago and so far to my knowledge hasn't made into the first team. 

You compare us to Liverpool and we are in the same under 23's league and we are 7th in the league whilst they are ONLY 6th in the league despite Liverpool spending alot more money on their academy than us I would imagine. We are also in the same under 18's league as Liverpool just for the record. And No I didn't see the Liverpool FA cup game due to working last night.  It's not about where you sit in the Academy Leagues it's the quality and number of players you bring through.

How many PL clubs are actually producing their talent and bring them through? not very many. Well take the top four at the moment (Liverpool, City, Leicester and Chelsea) and I'll give you Alexander-Arnold, Foden, Chillwell, Abraham, Loftus-Cheek and Mount all off the top of my head.  I could go on...........

Rankin Costello and Buckley will be good players for us going forward IMO. When I mention Talent coming through I meant players like Isaac Whitehall, Sam Barnes, Lewis Thompson, Luke Brennan. Plus Joe Hilton, the keeper we pick up in the summer look a great prospect and somewhere I think could be 1st team keeper here.  We will see.  Rankin-Costello and Buckley are both 20 and if they were stars of the future, they'd be holding down 1st team places NOW like Duff, Dunn and Jones were when they broke through at younger ages to RC and Buckley.  Seen nothing to suggest that RC and Buckley will be anything other than average Championship players.  As for the rest you mention, we will see - doesn't matter how young you are, if you are good enough...................

Think you will find most sports players are never 100% fit. I think Jimmy Anderson(could be wrong) said this some time ago. Think 

How could the Sports Science department prevent the latest Dack or Evans injuries? I would like an answer to this please.  Didn't say they could but their current injuries are not part of my criticism if you read more carefully!

Sadly you very happy to knock everything Blackburn Rovers do. I wont. as a fan who try to get to many academy and under 23 games as I can over the past seasons. Sadly the 6 months I haven't has many as I would have like.  Sadly, IMO, Rovers do little right these days.  As a club, I think we are a shambles.  I wish I looked forward to the matches like I once did when I had a number of season tickets for family and other and went to many matches both home and away.  These days, I am lucky if I get out of single figures for the games I attend even turning down a number of freebies.  Sadly, as the huge fall in gates shows, thousands of others feel the same way. 

7 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

What wrong with Academy director Stuart Jones and head of Sports Science Andrew Mitchell? 

We have good youth players coming through and IMO some players who could become 1st team players in the future. 

On the injuries, Dack, Holtby and Rothwell injuries all happened during games. Blame Morsy for Dack's injury. How could Evans injury been avoid Mercer? Rothwell's injury went he made a tackle

We aren't going to agree on Mowbray so we have to agree to disagree. 

 

Look at our Academy and all the £millions invested over the years.  Didn't Rovers say the cost was in the region of £3million+ per year.  My challenge would be is it really working?  

Look at Liverpool last night, in a FA Cup match against Liverpool, they fielded a team of youngsters with an average age of 19 and won and look at the team that defeated Everton in the previous round.  I could not see Rovers fielding a team in such circumstances from the 'ranks' and winning.

Mowbray talks about our 'kids' and Lenihan is going on 26 and Nyambe and Travis are 22 - these are not 'kids'.  'Kids' are what Liverpool fielded last night.

When did our Academy last produce a real talent sought by PL clubs or European clubs?

As a very, very bare minimum, as a Championship club, I would expect Rovers to 'produce' the likes of Lenihan, Nyambe and Travis.  As as PL club, IMO, that would be a shocking return given the resource going into the Academy.

You say we have "good youth players coming through and IMO some players who could become 1st team players in the future".  IMO, the likes of Grayson (age 20), Magloire (age 21) and Mols (age 21) are not good enough and never will be.  As for Buckley (age 20), Butterworth (age 20) and Rankin-Costello (age 20), a couple of them might  become a Championship player but they are not, IMO, hammering down the doors to our first team nor set to become the 'next big thing' in the way Damien Duff, David Dunn and Phil Jones were - all playing regular first team football (and in the PL) as 17/18/19 year old lads.

So if you measure our Academy objectively, IMO, it isn't working as it should.

As for our Sports Science department again, I look at 'results' and the evidence I see in matches.  I think we are one of the least mentally and physically fit teams in the league and as a result, the incidence of injury is higher.  IMO, there are examples of players being injured and then sent back on the field, possibly worsening their injuries (posters above have given examples including Lenihan and Chapman).  What sort of medical judgement calls are those?

We seem to pick up lots of injuries and take an age to get players back.  Younger players (as opposed to those 30+) shouldn't be injured as often as they are or take months to get into a state where Mowbray thinks they are fit enough for first team contention; Lenihan, Nyambe, Evans (excluding his facial injury), Holtby, Chapman and Davenport all readily spring to mind.

Sit back Chaddy, think about it and try to measure things more objectively.  Sadly, too many fans seem happy with mediocrity, are blinded by smoke and mirrors and think all things are rosy in the Ewood garden.  

9 hours ago, bazza said:

All these injuries this season makes me wonder about our training methods. Do other teams have as many injuries as we do? I know PNE fans complain about theirs. Should we be looking in depth at the methods used, the training staff and the medical staff?

Serious injuries; Cunningham, Dack, Grayson, and Butterworth.

Other players affected by injury; Brereton, Magloire, Tosin, Lenihan, Williams, Nyambe, Evans, Rothwell and now Holtby.

That's 13 players and the season is only 2/3rds through. 

Absolutely.

I think we once had very decent fitness and medical departments. 

Sadly, IMO, I think every level of the club has been downgraded under the present owners and its executive management.  IMO, we have paid, and will continue to do so, a very heavy price.

You get what you pay for.

I think we've squandered tens of £millions on transfer fees and wages for some very, very mediocre footballers and that's being kind!.  A fraction of that invested in key personnel would have reaped dividends.

You need a quality CEO, football manger, chief scout, academy director and head of sports' medicine and you then give them a decent infrastructure to work with.  Sadly, IMO, we fail in those five key positions and have done so for too long now; as a result, I think our club has regressed from an established PL club to, at best, a Championship club where stagnation prevails with our owners looking down the barrel at a near £200million loss.  IMO, unnecessarily tragic.

21 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Firstly you are broken record keep going on about Gallagher day after day. Its getting to the point where it getting boring. 

We have been over this Bell and Nyambe zero assists thing about a month ago. Yet again what's the point going over the same issues time after time. Another broken record of yours. 

That's the way Mowbray plays isn't a defence but Fact. 

really ineffective tactic? We are 10th in the league and a chance of the playoffs this season. Can't believe that ineffective came it. My Way would be 1 winger like Jed Wallace type. Then a Rothwell or Rankin Costello on the left cutting and drifting inside. 

Data Analysis and Technical/Tactical Video booths are there for Players to learn about the performance, how they can get better and improve the play whether its positionally or What runs to make or etc? Gallagher is willing to work on his game and learn whatever position he is asked to play cos he just wants to play. Obvisouly he would like to play up front but he is willing play anywhere as he just want to play the football. 

You are obsess with stats so look and research it pal

 

Trouble is Chaddy, you don't accept what many see, with good reason, as blindingly obvious.

I think we signed a dud in Brereton and, IMO, Gallagher isn't that much better!

You can have all the technical / tactical video booths in the world but if you haven't got a degree of natural ability then you are stuffed.  As the old proverb goes 'you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear'!

Don't see any reason why we can't win this.

Despite taking a three goal lead, Fulham fortunate to win their home game against Huddersfield and owe a huge debt of gratitude to their keeper for some great stops.

We need to get on the front foot from the off and get in their faces and then we've a chance.

As posted late Saturday, think there's bad news to come on Holtby and we wont see him until early / mid March. 

Absolutely awful for Tony and his family.

I remember Tony joining Rovers from Buxton some 50 years ago.  As a player, coach and manager he gave everything for Rovers.  A true, true stalwart.

Over the years, would often pass Tony in the car whilst he enjoyed his almost daily walks, listening to his music as he strode along so purposefully.

A really nice, genuine guy and you can only wish Tony and his family the very best as they try to come to terms with a dreadful illness.

11 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

If the plan was (and Mowbray has said so in the past) to move Armstrong up front, it makes the 5m Gallagher signing even more baffling. Why not spend that money on 1 or 2 wingers?

The answer is that, IMO, Mowbray makes it up as he goes along.

I struggle to see a strategy where our recruitment is concerned.

It's why, I think, we've seen square pegs in round holes for too long and too often. 

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Mercer, that's your view so don't start patronising me cos it wont work. If that's your attitude please don't quote me or my posts anymore. 

Chaddy, look at it carefully, don't be sucked in !!